A's get Damon in three-team trade

Royals, Rays trade with Oakland; Indians set to sign Gonzalez

NEW YORK -- Juan Gonzalez seemed set to sign with Cleveland, while Johnny Damon, Ben Grieve and Roberto Hernandez were dealt Monday in the biggest trade of the offseason.

The nine-player trade sent Damon from Kansas City to Oakland, moved Grieve from the Athletics to Tampa Bay and sent Hernandez from the Devil Rays to the Royals.

''This is a dimension that this team hasn't had for the last two years,'' Oakland GM Billy Beane said of the speedy Damon. ''We haven't had this type of player probably since Rickey (Henderson) was in his prime.''

Catcher A.J. Hinch and reliever Cory Lidle were the only other major league players in the deal.

Gonzalez faced a Monday midnight deadline passed for him to re-sign with the Detroit Tigers. Six other free agents also faced the deadline to re-sign with their former teams but only one agreed to return, with designated hitter Harold Baines accepting a minor league contract offered by the Chicago White Sox.

The players were offered salary arbitration by their former teams on Dec. 7 and they rejected the offers 12 days later. By offering arbitration, teams extended the negotiating period through Jan. 8.

Detroit, which acquired Gonzalez from Texas after the 1999 season, ended negotiations with the two-time American League MVP last month. Gonzalez, who last year rejected a $143 million, eight-year extension offered by the Tigers, has been discussing a one-year contract with Cleveland worth about $12 million.

Gonzalez was scheduled to arrive in Cleveland on Monday night and be examined by Indians doctors Tuesday, according to a baseball management source, speaking on the condition of anonymity.

''There are still a couple of hurdles left to get over,'' Indians assistant general manager Mark Shapiro said Monday. ''We're making progress. It's not a foregone conclusion, but we're getting a lot closer.''

Shapiro would not confirm if Gonzalez was en route to Cleveland. However, he said the Indians would need assurances Gonzalez's back was OK before terms of a contract could be finalized.

Damon, one of the most sought-after players on the trade market, is eligible for free agency after the 2001 season and has said he would test the market before signing a contract extension.

''That's part of the risk you take when you go into something like this to make us much better,'' Beane said.

Damon hit .327 with 16 homers and 88 RBIs last season for the Royals. He also led the AL with 46 stolen bases and 136 runs scored.

Several teams, including the Los Angeles Dodgers and New York Mets, wanted the 27-year-old Damon.

Grieve, the 1998 AL Rookie of the Year, hit .279 with 27 homers and 104 RBIs last season, but the A's had been looking to deal him this offseason.

Grieve, 24, struck out a career-high 130 times and grounded into a major league-leading 32 double plays. He signed a four-year, $13 million deal last March.

''We could not pass the opportunity to get a young bat like Ben's,'' said Devil Rays GM Chuck LaMar, who also admitted that Grieve's secure contract status was attractive.

Hernandez was 4-7 with a 3.19 ERA and 32 saves last season. The 36-year-old right-hander has been among the majors' top relievers for a long time and the Royals needed bullpen help.

The Royals also acquired Hinch, 26, minor league infielder Angel Berroa and cash from the A's.

The Athletics got Lidle, 28, from Tampa Bay. He was 4-6 with a 5.03 ERA in 31 games. Oakland also acquired minor league infielder Mark Ellis and a player to be named from Kansas City.

Tampa Bay got a player to be named or cash from the Athletics.

Baines, who needs 145 hits to reach 3,000, turns 42 on March 15. He already has had his number retired by the White Sox, his team from 1980-89 and 1996-97.

Baines returned to the club July 29 in a trade with the Baltimore Orioles. He batted .213 with one home run and nine RBIs in 24 games with the White Sox after batting .266 with 10 home runs and 30 RBIs in 72 games with the Orioles.

In 21 seasons, Baines has hit .291 with 384 home runs and 1,622 RBIs. He will make $1 million if he makes the major league team.